A Great Way to Make Friends
by Littlegraycells28
Summary: Brought down from "Celestrian" to "near-mortal", a newly appointed Guardian tries to find his way back home. But is his work on the Protectorate finished? And he can't possibly go it alone… Novelization of Dragon Quest IX.
1. The New Guardian

"Angel Falls…it is a peaceful place. The mortals that dwell in this small community are hardworking, pious, and hospitable."

Two figures scanned a village surrounded by lush green countryside; their vision sharper than any human could ever hope to match. What really made them stand out were the pairs of wings they sported, keeping them both high in the air. Of course, how normal they looked were of no concern; humans could not see them. The elder of the two, a tall and stern-looking fellow, eventually drew his gaze to an equally stern brown-eyed lad.

"Very soon this humble town will be your assigned protectorate, Alexander. With Apus Major reassigning me, I will no longer be able to look over this town that I have grown fond of. I admit that when I first heard that you were to take over in my stead I reserved doubts your ability to handle the ascension to Guardian."

"I do not blame you Teacher Aquila," the youth said in a respectful tone, "I have much to learn and experience in order to succeed, but pledge to you that my protectorate shall be safe."

Aquila remained silent.

"Erinn! Erinn! Please slow down."

The two Guardians looked in the distance to the source of the plea, an old man struggling to catch up with a swift-walking young woman. She turned around, her bright orange bandana matching the radiance of her smile, "Sorry Grandfather! I would really like to reach home before sunset. I want to show you the rainbow under the falls!"

But she slowed her pace to match her grandfather's anyway.

"Ah, Erinn is a mortal whom I will miss," Aquila said without changing expression, "I would like you to keep particular attention to her, Alexander. When she first arrived to Angel Falls several years ago she was a rather pitiable child, very sickly. She was eventually nursed back to health with the town's and my assistance, but in the event she relapses make sure to be there."

Alexander stared at blue-haired woman, committing her image and Aquila's words to memory. As he did so however, the transcendent being's eyesight caught movement from behind pair of humans. Two blobs of azure goo and a vegetable-like creature wielding a sharpened stick slunk along the path, the latter of the bunch drooling at the mouth.

"Teacher, there are hostile monsters approaching Erinn and the old man. We must engage them to keep the members of my protectorate safe."

"I have already seen them. Quickly!"

The two Guardians whipped their wings and flew directly in front of the approaching monsters' path. Alexander drew an unpolished copper sword and Aquila unsheathed a steel gladius. The two blobs, which Alexander identified as Slimes, shrieked in intimidation and immediately bounced away. The green monster was less cowardly; it pointed its crude spear in a threatening fashion.

"Avoid its weapon!" Aquila warned, "What a Cruelcumber lacks in intellect it makes up for in aggressiveness."

The Cruelcumber was puzzled for a quick second, trying to decide which of the duo to attack, before choosing to just attack the smaller one. Using its sharpened stick like a lance, the monster charged. Being relatively experienced in combat, Alexander in a single move sidestepped, dropped to one knee, and swiped his sword. A leg hewed off of the Cruelcumber's body, causing it to stumble. In doing so, it fell forward onto the pointed end of its own weapon, impaling it through its torso. It harshly twitched, then lay still. Alexander winced.

"Good work Apprentice," Aquila said with indifference, "Now back to the mortals. I suspect that Erinn will leave us a gift."

* * *

><p>"Oh thank the Almighty we're here! For a while I thought my old lungs would give out…"<p>

"Don't be so melodramatic grandpa!" Erinn giggled, "Besides, even though Angel Falls is a bit on the small side we still have a Celestrian Guardian looking after us. Oh! That reminds me."

She bowed her head and folded her hands in prayer, "Benevolent Aquila, thank you for the safe passage to our home. I hope Angel Falls can rely on you in the future."

As she expressed her ritual of appreciation, a swirling blue energy manifested before her feet. Erinn and her grandfather passed through the gate into town, leaving behind the wispy object invisible to her eyes. Aquila picked it up and handed it to his apprentice. It was comfortably warm.

"Behold, Benevolessence. The crystallization of a mortal's gratitude. As you well know, it is our sacred duty to collect as much Benevolessence as possible and offer it to Yggrasil, the Great World Tree."

Alexander had observed other Guardians performing this task, carrying various amounts of the energy up the stairs to the World Tree. The Celestrians holding them were regarded with awe and pride.

"Teacher, may we ascend to the Observatory now? I have never executed our cardinal duty and am eager to do so."

Aquila frowned, "Normally I would keep my presence in Angel Falls to gather some more, though it is important that you learn this experience. Very well, lead the way."

Alexander leapt skyward with his wings, his teacher following close behind his, flying to a place above the clouds.

* * *

><p>The Celestrian Observatory was the grandest structure in existence in Alexander's opinion. Unparalleled in sheer size, beauty, and (which was very important to him) structural integrity. He and his teacher flew in through the bottom entrance as was custom, landing in the main center of the Observatory.<p>

Aquila turned to his pupil, "As you have never presented an offering to the World Tree before, you will need to see Apus Major and ask for clearance. While you do this, I have some errands to attend to down on the Protectorate. Excuse me."

He leapt back down the hole leading to the world below, leaving Alexander to walk up the various staircases to Apus Major's summons room.

* * *

><p>"Jolly good to see you again Alex! I hope I am not mistaken in my guess that the apprentice of Aquila missed old Apus Major?"<p>

The younger Celestrian gave a slight grin of amusement and bowed, "Greetings to you too, Elder. And you were not mistaken. In fact, I was just ruminating how I simply could not bear to face another day without seeing the wondrous beard of our leader once more."

Apus Major chortled jovially, stroking said facial hair. His lavish snow-white beard and mustache set was the point of many jokes throughout the Observatory for millennia.

"There is something I must consult you for, Apus. I have just returned from the Protectorate and I have brought with me a portion of Benevolessence."

The elder's eyes widened, "Oho! Really now? Then you are truly ready to make the ascension into Guardianship? Wonderful! Then you shall perform for the first time the ritual in where you offer your Benevolessence unto the Great World Tree Yggdrasil. Tell the keeper guarding the path to Her that you are to do so. The time when She finally blooms is almost upon us!"

* * *

><p>The marble steps Alexander was climbing up were spotless despite the thousands and thousands of times Guardians had treaded upon them. Their gleaming surfaces served to frame the majestic Great World Tree behind them. In simplest terms, Yggdrasil was an <em>enormous<em> tree. No Celestrian had ever found a tree down on the Protectorate nearly as massive, nor even another of its species. Its roots webbed down the sides of the Observatory, visible even to those at the bottom entrance. The boughs alone could be considered trees unto themselves. Alexander had never seen the magnificent one-tree-forest up close before, being only very recently appointed as a Guardian. Up close, he couldn't help but feel awed at the ancient relic that the others idolized.

Kneeling down on both knees, Alexander offered the Benevolessence. The crystalline wisp levitated to the base of the trunk, sinking deep into the roots. Energy flowed like sap through Yggdrasil's vascular system, illuminating its leaves to a blindingly golden hue until fading back into bright green.

_Apus Major was correct, She is nearly bursting with power! We are on the cusp of the blooming of Her and reaping the literal fruits of our labor. Now my task is to descend back to the Protectorate and contribute to all Celestriankind…alone._

* * *

><p><strong>Fun Author's Note<strong>:

This fic will be my attempt to add some symbolism to my stories, a very tricky literary device that is satisfying to avid literature analysts and interpreters who get a kick out of reading between the lines and making wild claims that you just can't help but considering. Well of course I'm one of those, silly reader :P

As the Dragon Quest IX game contains some parallels between itself and the religions of Catholicism and Christianity, I will attempt to do the same with my fic. Try and see what messages you can find! Just know that I have never read any religious texts and my knowledge of what is written in them is rudimentary, so expect references to be either fairly overt or very simplistic.

I wanted to give the main protagonists' names meaning, so naturally I Googlized "meanings of names", for which I found "Alexander—defender of man". Perfect, right?

To be honest, I greatly dislike FCs (oftentimes used interchangeably with OCs), so you may wonder why I'm violating my own preferences. Well…for one, how could I write a Dragon Quest fic without doing so, right? Doi. Another thing, they're not EXACTLY FCs _per se_. The four main protagonists are loosely based on the four figures on the cover of the game. I of course will take artistic licenses for them. I won't let out too much in advance about them, but I will tell you that they will comprise of two guys and gals. Speculate what you will, it'd probably be amusing to me :|

Fun factoid: "Aquila" means "eagle". How about that, huh?


	2. Trials of Guardianship

Standing under a faint moonbow, Alexander ran his hands under the famous waterfall of Angel Falls, trying to wash off the putrid odor that clung to them. Today he had and "assisted" (or rather did all the work while the mortal slept) a stableman clean the manure from his horse stalls. Unfortunately, the task did not leave the Celestrian unmarred.

As Alexander washed his forearms, he questioned the significance of performing such menial tasks born from the shallowest whims of mortals. He had only been a Guardian for a few weeks to be fair, but all of the wishes he had serviced amounted to "let me find mushrooms for my dad's lunch!", "'elp me ge'a good catch taday!", "help me find my dear wedding ring". How arrogant could mortals be to ask for such frivolous favors? Still, if nothing else they were certainly grateful in the end and Benevolessence was acquired… But were there no more meaningful ways to assist mortalkind than working as a stable sweeper?

"I'm telling you Hugo, the name on the Guardian statue changed!"

Alexander frowned, looking at the lad who exclaimed so stridently.

"And all I'm saying Ivor, is that everyone else including me remember the name on the statue being the same. What do you think it changed from?"

"It was Aq…Aq…something starting with an A!"

"'Alexander' starts with an A."

"Well yeah, I know, but that's not…ARGH. My point is that 'Alexander' wasn't on the statue a few days ago!"

Ivor...Alexander did not approve of him. His ego, inflated simply because of his father's position as mayor, was only matched by the flamboyance of his blond coif. He felt sorry for his much calmer brother Hugo, who usually received the brunt of Ivor's aggression. More than once he had overheard villagers praying for the Guardian to teach the lad a lesson. _That_ would certainly be a meaningful task.

Alexander was just about to act upon that when a winged figure hovering in the night sky caught his attention.

_Teacher? What is he doing here?_

Aquila, noticing his pupil, swooped down to Alexander's level with practiced swiftness, "Alexander, glad to see you are well."

His student nodded stiffly, "Greetings to you, Teacher. What brings you back to your old Protectorate?"

Aquila eyed the younger Celestrian questioningly, "You seem apprehensive. Perhaps you feel as though my visit is condescending in that I would have to check on you."

His guess struck far too close for comfort.

"I assure you that is very far from the case, I strongly believe that you are capable of keeping the state of peace. But I am here for a reason, however. While you were my apprentice I taught you many things that would make you an able Guardian. With Opus Major's reassigning me however, my time was so taken up by my preparation for my new position that I neglected to teach you your final lesson. I apologize for my forgetfulness."

Alexander was quick to retort, "Feel no shame Teacher, it was no fault of yours."

Aquila nodded and gestured to one of the houses near the town well, "Come."

The two Celestrians hovered to a modest-looking home where Alexander noticed a peculiar-looking individual pounding on the door, "'ELLO! _'ELLO!"_

His entire being was transparent, a pale blue aura emanating from it.

"Teacher, is that...?"

"Your final lesson. A spirit. An afterimage of a deceased mortal whose desires still tether them to the physical world. Being a Guardian means you assist _all_inhabitants, living or dead. Your duty is to guide them to the realm beyond this one, help them sever the ties restraining them from passing in peace. "

Alexander pondered over this new information, _How strange. Both Celestrian and mortalkind alike are grounded in the physical realm yet they are unable to see what is plain as daylight in our eyes, such an unfortunate disability. _

"Am I correct in guessing that spirits moving on to the next world can provide Benevolessence?"

"Yes. Now go."

The student obeyed and flew in the direction of the house when the door whipped open and the disgruntled face of a heavyset woman peeked out,"Yes, yes, who's pounding on the door at this hour? And couldn't you at least knock quietly?"

"Oy! Ya locked me out again, Ginga', y'know to leave th' door unbol'ed when I'm out. Now, sorry abou' knockin' so loud, bu―

"No one..." the woman interrupted, "Must be Ivor and his shenanigans again, I swear."

She slammed the door in his face.

The spirit/man was stunned briefly, then slumped in confusion, "Wot in th' blazes...she di'nt even see me, lioke I'm some kinda bleedin' ghost! And no one else'll even give me the tiome a day. Wot's goin' on?"

"Perhaps I can shed some light on your mystery, sir."

Alexander landed to ground level with much surprise from the spirit., "'Ey! Ya got wings! An' a 'alo! You one a' them Celestrians, aren't ya? But if I can see ya there, then...aw, tha' means I kicked the ol' bucket, 'aven't I?"

The Celestrian nodded.

The spirit put a hand to his chin, "Huh. Didn' even notice my own doin' in. Well, figger it could be worse. Though' everyone was just givin' me the cold shoulder or somfin'. Thanks for 'elpin' me out there, guess I gotta 'rest in peace' an' all that now."

He started glowing an intense green and levitating into the air, his translucent form fading from the physical realm.

"Cheers mate!"

From where he previously stood lay a shiny crystal of Benevolessence.

Alexander scooped it into his hands as Aquila approached him, "Good work, Alexander. Though admittedly a very easy task you nonetheless guided a lost mortal soul to the next world. That is all I had left to teach you, you are now a fully trained Guardian. So, a small quiz to test your knowledge: what should your next course of action be?"

The former pupil answered quickly, "Since it is sundown, the resting time for the mortals, there is little need for a Guardian to stay here idle. The priority is taking this Benevolessence to Yddrasil."

Aquila nodded, "Excellent. You shall lead."

With a light _whoosh_ the two ascended for the heavens.

* * *

><p>"Oh ho ho! Well met Alexander!" Apus Major grandly addressed, "You have come at a very fortuitous time, lad! Is it not awe-inspiring?"<p>

It was quite a sight indeed, Yddrassil's leaves glowed bright saffron, Her trunk radiating light. The air seemed charged with power. Many Celestrain residents of the Observatory had gathered to witness the display.

"The time for Her to bear fruit is nearly upon us," Aquila added.

"Quite certainly!" Apus Major agreed, "As the ancient knowledge goes, 'Fyggbloom of the Great World Tree hails the opening of the passage to salvation; through the celestial chariot _The Starflight Express, _the sacred Fyggs as tickets, shall the chosen custodians ascend to the Realm of the Almighty and live amongst the gods.' Oh, how very much I am anxious to witness such great events!"

"Then hopefully I can grant you that desire now, Elder."

The crowd of Celestrians went quiet at these words, their anticipation palpable. Alexander knelt down on both knees, offering the Benevolessence to Yddrasil, the crystalline wisp melding into Her being. A second passed. Two. Then, in a blinding burst of light, flowers of pale pink blossomed from the boughs. Between those blossoms, twinkles of yellow shined through. Shy twinkles quickly turned into bright spheres of gold, each as large as an apple, hanging heavy from the stems.

Apus Major cried out in reverence, "Lo! The sacred Fyggs do bloom!"

_***WOOOOOOOOOOO***_

The whistle of the Starflight Express was clear and sweet, ringing throughout the dumbstruck crowd.

"The celestial chariot does approach...!"

"All is as foretold!"

"Hail salvation!"

And then the world exploded.

Bolts of purple energy tore vertically through the sky, streaking straight through the Observatory itself. Hurricane-like gusts whirled around the now terrified Celestrians who were struggling to keep their footing. As if sensing trouble, the Starflight Express nosedived toward the imperiled servants of Yggdrasil.

***CRACKBOOM***

Another bolt of energy shot from beneath, blasting the would-be chariot to salvation out of the sky and sending it plummeting to the Earth below. Alexander clung as hard as he could to the exposed roots of the Great World Tree to avoid being blown away, but the bolts of energy only grew in intensity and the gusts turned into gales.

_What is happening? _Alexander thought in shock, _what has gone wrong? We were supposed to be **saved!**"_

His hands finally slipped from their vice grip, the wind hurling him from Observatory.

"_Teacher!_"

Alexander knew his plea would be inaudible in the wind. He tried his best to fly back to Yggdrasil, the gales buffeted him so that he couldn't even orient himself upright.

***CRACKBOOM***

A stray bolt of purple energy hit Alexander dead on. His ability to think coherently was lost after that.

* * *

><p><strong>Fun Author's Note:<strong> Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? Haven't uploaded anything since...holy mackerel, April! ...Y'know what? I blame school and Team Fortress 2. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Well, fortunately for you readers and unfortunately for my grades and the rest of the universe, I feel the passion for fanfiction again and hopefully I'll write at least a bit more than I have been lately _ _

The reasons for this chapter being kinda short are:

a) See above

2) I want to save the stuff I consider fun for next chapter. You've gotten a good look at the basic character of Alexander, Aquila, and Apus Major, next are the mortals.

Here's to a (hopeful) revival from hiatus and many words, readers, and reviews to come! And that means my Sonic stories too for those loyal readers expecting.

P.S. If you are a fellow TF2 player my username is Littlegraycells28. Look me up! Especially if you want to trade!


	3. Mortal

"—I've got him!"

"—on three,"

"Pull!"

"Almost—!"

"Hang on!"

"He's slipping—!"

"'ang on! Ah got 'im wif mah fishin' 'ook!

"Don't drop him—"

"—like uh trout, reeled in all steady lahke."

* * *

><p>Soft sheets. They felt comfortable and very warm, just like the pillow.<p>

_Pillow? Sheets? A bed? Celestrians require no sleep..._

Alexander pulled his legs from underneath the wool covers, finding his movement restrained by pieces of wood. Splints. And numerous bandages. For the injuries he apparently had. His sword was no longer on his back, but leaning against the nightstand.

_What in the name of the Almighty could have happned? Had not Yggdrasil finally bare the sacred Fyygs? And then__—_

"You're awake! Thank goodness!"

His head jerked to the voice, but Alexander relaxed (somewhat) upon seeing the familiar blue hair.

_It is that mortal, Erinn! Am I on the Protectorate? And how can she see me?_

"Grandfather!" she called, "Our guest is awake!"

She pulled off the covers, scrutinizing his wounds for any signs of infection. Seeing none, she brushed back his bangs to check for head injuries. His chestnut hair, once matted with silt and blood, was now clean and concealed no further evidence of trauma.

The _clop clop_ of the old man's cane preceded his entrance into the room, "Ah, good to see you up! And so soon! We were worried you wouldn't wake up at all."

Erinn nudged him, "Grandpa!"

He chuckled and held his head down, "Oh ho, sorry son, I probably should have said that better. In any case, how are you feeling? Tired? Hungry?"

Alexander's first attempt to speak failed, so he cleared his throat and spoke with volume, "I am feeling quite all right, thank you for your hospitality. If I may ask, where am I? How is it that I came here?"

The old man swept his free arm as if presenting a prize Metal Slime, "Why, you're in Angel Falls, my own hometown and best place on Earth if you ask me. As for how you got here we were hoping to ask you that question."

Alexander frowned in confusion, "I do not follow."

"It was right after the earthquake," Erinn chimed in, "It looked like you fell straight from the sky!"

"Yes! Yes!" her grandfather butt in, "You fell right into the pool under the falls! We tried asking you some of these questions when we fished you out but you were delirious, you kept saying that you were the guardian of Angel Falls and fell from some observatory somewhere. Quite beat up you were, but very much alive. The power of youth you know!"

His mind still a few seconds behind, Alexander was _really_ confused, _I do vaguely remember saying these things, but even if I _was _delirious such things are true. Do they not think it strange that I possess a halo and win―_

Sitting up, he could not feel the familiar weight of his feathered appendages on his back. He turned as much as his splits would let him to discover to his horror that his wings were not there.

_Impossible! It is a signature characteristic of Celestrians that we possess wings with which to fly! Just how much punishment did I suffer...?_

Erinn noticed his growing panic and hyperventilation, "Alright, I think our guest understands how serious this is. We should leave him to rest and heal."

The blunette gently pushed the Celestrian (?) back down, "Please sir, relax. You're still hurt."

Alexander acquiesced out of sheer obedience, his mind moving at a mile a minute but unable to piece together a single thought. Just as Erinn shooed her grandfather out of the room and was about to leave herself, he finally settled with one word.

"Alexander."

She turned to him with wide eyes, "What?"

"My name, so you do not have to refer to me as 'sir'. My name is Alexander."

"Just like the—"

"Yes, the same as the town Guardian."

She stared at him for a moment then smiled, "My name's Erinn. Nice to meet you!"

* * *

><p><em>I suppose even without my wings and halo I am at least still <em>part _Celestrian; I find it impossible to sleep._

The Guardian of Angel Falls lay on his pillow, taking advantage of his inability to sleep to sort out his thoughts and piece together the situation. His splits lay at the side of the bed; they interfered with his movement and were useless by this point anyhow. He was completely healed. Minus the wings and halo of course.

_So while I am certainly not mortal, I cannot fully be a Celestrian either...somewhere in between perhaps? Surely no mortal could have survived such blows as I took, yet I am visible to these mortals' eyes. I must start at the beginning. The very last thing I remember before awaking here is offering the final Benevolessence required for The Great World Tree to bear the sacred Fyggs. After which I was somehow thrown from the Observatory. I seem to remember be pulled out of water by friendly townspeople, but such memories are scarcely lucid at best. Very well, my course of action is clear; I must find some way to return to the Celestrian Observatory and discover what catastrophe occurred. Perhaps I may even regain my wings and halo back home. But before I may start such undertakings I must provide these good people of Angel Falls with a fabricated story to sate their curiosity; without wings on my back or a ring of light above my head I have no way of evidencing the truth. Surely they would not accept some outrageous claim that a stranger from the sky is somehow their divine protector? No, I shall avoid causing a fracas and keep their lives simple._

* * *

><p>*<strong>knock knock<strong>*

"Coming!"

Erinn opened the front door and was met with an impressive blond coif.

"Oh, hello Ivor," she greeted cooly, "What do you want?"

The mayor's son bashfully put a hand behind his head, "Er, hey Erinn. I was just wondering if that guy who showed up the other day was, y'know, up yet."

Erinn huffed and turned back inside, leading Ivor to believe it to be an invitation to enter.

"...Yes, he is much better than he was a little while ago but right now he needs his rest and a good meal when he wakes up. And his name is Alexander."

Ivor fidgited, "Aw c'mon! Some weirdo just shows up hurt out of nowhere and you just take him in? His clothes are all weird...I'll bet his name isn't even Alexander!"

"Now that's enough!" Erinn cut in, "Our guest hasn't done anything to you, why are you being so mean?"

Cringing under her tone of voice, Ivor worked up the courage to continue, "W-well I'm just saying he might be dangerous is all, and he's in your house..."

The blunette shook her head, "Look, we may not completely know who he is right now but fact is that he's hurt and needs help. For all we know, he could be a traveling Minstrel and that's why he's dressed that way."

Ivor crossed his arms, "Well, I still want to see the guy. He's upstairs right? I'll just go check up on him."

"That will not be necessary."

The lad in question strolled down the stairs (albeit a bit stiffly) free from his splints and wrappings.

Erinn immediately protested, "Alexander! You're still hurt! You shouldn't be walking around just yet. I've almost finished lunch, you just go back to bed. Ooh, you've probably opened some cuts by getting up, stand still."

The newly-recovered Alexander held up a hand, "Your concern is touching, but misplaced. I assure you that I am quite alright now, thanks to your help. I thought I heard my name being called so I decided to see who wanted to summon me."

In the presence of a perceived rival, Ivor puffed out his chest, "That was me. If you were feeling up to it, I was going to ask to talk to you outside in private."

"Ivor..."

"No no, Erinn, I feel quite capable of fulfilling such a simple request," Alexander opened the door and gestured with his arm, "Please, lead the way sir."

Immaculate hair passed under the doorway as Alexander followed.

As soon as the two were behind the house away from prying eyes, Ivor grabbed Alexander by the lapel of his tunic and snarled, "Okay first off, who are you and how did you end up under the waterfall?"

Alexander was completely neutral, unresponsive to his aggressor's attempt to rile him, "My name is Alexander, and just like Erinn said, I am a traveling Minstrel. I was...simply on the road, as it were, at the top of the waterfall when I felt intense tremors. The next thing I remember is waking up in Erinn's residence, covered in wounds."

That much was a lie.

Ivor's grip tightened, "That's another thing, how'd you heal so fast?"

"Minstrels have the ability to cast a spell called Heal on themselves or others," he replied without batting an eye, "I used it to accelerate my body's natural ability to repair itself."

That was more of a half-truth. He _did_ have the ability to cast Heal, but due to his unconsciousness only his enhanced Celestrian regenerative rate was responsible for his recovery.

Ivor looked as if he wanted to push more, but apparently running out of zeal, he released Alexander with a frustrated sigh.

"I don't trust you; not for a second. But I guess it doesn't matter right now. Look, as much as I think you're a conniving freeloader who should be thrown out of town, you're the only one I can turn to for this. I need your help."

The abrupt change in message threw Alexander's thought process for a loop, "My help? Pray tell, what is it that a conniving freeloader can do for you that anyone else in the village cannot? Tolerate your presence?"

The other youth growled, "Watch it, pal."

After a tense second, Ivor continued, "After that earthquake, a big landslide blocked the pass between here and Stornway. That means all of us in town are stuck here and everyone outside can't get in."

_Everyone in Angel Falls is trapped here? If that is so, then I have no way of returning to the Observatory!_

"Erinn's inn has already been going through tough times, and if NO ONE can get here then her place'll go under, see! Now before you get ideas, I'm not just doing it for her, I don't want anyone else stuck here either. There's a world outside of Angel Falls y'know!"

"Very well, I understand your motives, but I still do not know what it is exactly you want to do nor why you require my assistance."

"Well, whatever the earthquake did caused a bigger mess than a landslide. A lot more monsters have been showing up outside of town than there used to be. Before I could beat them with my hands tied behind my back but now it's like they're in mobs, there's too many for me to beat on my own. I need your help getting through to the pass. You've got that sword, and I guess your Minstrel magic tricks, so I guessed you could fight."

"I see. Two fighters instead of one to increase the chances of survival. If that blocked pass is indeed the only route leading out of Angel Falls, then I will surely lend you my help. When do you propose we undertake this venture?"

Ivor grinned triumphantly, "Meet me by the town gate tomorrow. We'll leave in the morning."

* * *

><p>Alexander held his copper sword at ready, eying the bright green brush for any more lurking monsters. While the road to the pass was certainly not lengthy by any means, he and Ivor had encountered more than their fair share of hostile creatures. Knowing they could never fight or run from all the monsters they came across in such a narrow valley, they strayed as far as they could from the beaten path, while still traveling in the right direction.<p>

The sound of shifting sand and an arrow being cocked hit Alexander's ears.

"Prepare yourself, a Sacksquatch and a Bodkin archer lay in ambush ahead."

"Wait, how can you know they're there if they're supposed to be ambushing us? Sure you're not just hearing thi—"

Alexander tossed a column of wind from his hand, deflecting an arrow aimed for Ivor's forehead.

"...uh..."

The Celestrian built up another Woosh spell,"They come! Attack!"

Now discovered, the two monsters leapt out of their hiding places. The Sacksquatch immediately bounded for Ivor, while the imp-like Archer turned its focus towards the other target in view.

Ivor boasted (in more than one way) a Soldier's Sword, a staple weapon for the minutemen of Stornway's army. Its steel edge certainly held a sharper edge than Alexander's own blade. Using this to his advantage, Ivor clumsily sliced the burlap monster to bits, spilling its sandy innards.

The Archer refused to come into melee range, resorting to arrows instead. When your opponent possesses the ability to conjure powerful dust devils from his hands, however, range becomes less effective as a defense.

Leaving a cut up sandbag and a buffeted imp in their wake, Ivor and Alexander proceeded to the pass.

* * *

><p>"Okay, we're we're close. The landslide is supposed to be just ahead of this wooded area here."<p>

Alexander barely heard his coiffed companion, his attention transfixed upon something very out of place in the woods; surrounded by a cluster of crushed trees lay a golden locomotive.

_The Starflight Express! It survived, praise the Almighty! How did it come to land in this spot?_

"Alexander? Hello? What're you staring at?" Ivor looked in the direction of the celestial chariot, "...they're just a bunch of fallen trees, and there's no monsters hiding in them. Let's get moving, the landslide's just ahead."

"Uh, yes, the landslide, of course. You proceed without me, I shall remain here for a short time. I...feel as though something in this area requires careful scanning."

Ivor tilted his head, "You can be really weird, y'know that? Well whatever, you do whatever you do, just do it quickly!"

He marched on ahead, leaving Alexander alone with the Starflight Express.

_This chariot must be invisible to mortals as well; even one as bull-headed as Ivor would react to such a sight. Yet he is able to see me...such is a paradox that should be investigated to length. At the present moment however..._

The Starflight Express. The very motivation and desire of the Celestrians was inseparably tied to this chariot. Alexander walked up the back steps and touched the door. It slid open smoothly and he stepped into the dim interior, already finding something amiss. The very fact that the interior was unlit was discerning; was this not the "chariot of the gods", the "trailblazer of light", the "beacon of salvation"? According to tales of Apus Major, the mere presence of a Celestrian should have awakened its power, but the entire vehicle seemed dead!

_Then again, my status as a true Celestrian _has_ been called into question…_

Deciding to examine the room as to find anything else that would explain its lifelessness, he opened the door as far as it would go to allow sunlight in. The décor appeared to be gold and copper, though dull and dusty. What appeared to be a control panel was set in the very front. Alexander experimented with some of the knobs and levers, but the train did not stir.

_Oh crushing disappointment! I had hoped that the chariot of the Almighty's would safely carry me back to the Observatory, but it seems I have been deemed not Celestrian enough_

His hands slid off the control panel to his sides, knocking something to the carpeted floor. In the dim lighting, he saw the tiny object twinkle and picked it up.

_A Gold Ring...these increase their wearer's invulnerability by a slight degree if I remember correctly. More importantly, I have something to show Ivor for the amount of time I have spent in here. Perhaps the Almighty has not forsaken me yet._

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><p><strong>Fun Author's Note:<strong> Well, quite a bit happened for our hero in this chapter, didn't it? No longer does he get to enjoy being an angel. OR DOES HE? As clearly shown, even he doesn't know yet, so consequently neither do you :D

You may be wondering why I wrote it so Alexander actually entered the Starflight Express instead of being locked out in the game. To put it bluntly, I'm cutting Stella out from my story. I'M SO SORRY ;_;

It's not because I don't like her, I do, she's cool and an entertaining character. However, I want Alexander to derive conversation and support from his party members rather than his exposition fairy. Wish it worked either way, but as it goes Stella must be dummied out. To make up for it, I will add 100% more personality to the protagonist's party members than they had in the game. Which basically means that they will have a personalty at all.


End file.
